WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State put up a strong fight in the opening two sets before momentum shifted allowing Texas Woman's to escape with a 23-25, 23-25, 25-9, 25-22, 15-7 Lone Star Conference win Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
 
The Mustangs, who fell to 7-18 overall and to 3-11 in league play, take on Southern Nazarene in their home finale Thursday night under the dome. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
 
Senior Kat Molloy put down nine of her 11 kills in the opening two frames as MSU hit .212 as a team including a 21-kill second set to climb to within one set of upsetting the Pioneers.
 
Midwestern also got it done at the net combined for 10 total team blocks led by Molloy and sophomore setter Sarah Rosinke with five blocks each, while sophomore Sarah Garfield added four of her own.
 
But the match changed swiftly for the Pioneers, who slugged out a 25-9 third-set win to change the tide.
 
MSU struggled mightily on the attack over the closing three sets committing 26 errors hitting .011 as a team
 
Garfield put down 13 kills to pace the attack, while junior outside hitter Hunter Porter worked for 10 put aways and freshman Meghan Bettis tallied eight kills.
 
Sophomore Madelyn Johnson logged 21 digs to pace the back row, while Porter (13), junior Nicole Marzik (12), Rosinke (10) and freshman Meghan Bettis (10) all logged double figure digs.
 
Elizabeth Penning mashed 14 kills while Mallory Kuechle and Hillary Shaffer added 13 kills each to pace TWU, who improved to 16-7 and 10-3.
 
It was the Mustangs 10th five-set match of the season. MSU has won three of them.